The CC Gold is a sophisticated, lightweight, and compact modern archtop guitar, delivering a rich, balanced tone, exceptional dynamic range, and articulate responsiveness—blending the vintage sound of the iconic Charlie Christian pickup with finely crafted all-solid wood construction and modern ergonomic playability.
The CC Gold features a more compact 15 1/2″ body size, which enhances playability while still delivering a full-bodied sound that resonates with depth and warmth. This smaller body size does not compromise the instrument’s ability to produce a rich tonal palette; instead, it enhances the ease of handling, making it a perfect companion for both intimate practice sessions and live performances.
At the heart of the CC Gold is an authentic reproduction of the iconic Charlie Christian (CC) pickup, meticulously crafted to exact 1936 specifications by CC Pickups in England. This pickup is not a modern imitation; it is a faithful recreation that retains the essence of the original design, featuring full-size cobalt steel bar magnets.
Unlike most modern reproductions that sacrifice tone for ease of installation, this pickup stays true to the original design with its large cobalt magnets and 3-point mounting harness. The result is a huge magnetic field, producing an unmatched big clean jazz tone with incredible dynamic range—a sound that captures the vintage essence in a modern, handcrafted instrument.
The Charlie Christian pickup was one of the very first electric guitar pickups, and remains revered today for its unparalleled jazz tone. The CC Gold captures this vintage sound in a modern instrument, offering players the best of both worlds.
This large single-coil pickup, with its powerful magnets running parallel to the strings, generates a unique magnetic field that produces a tone unlike any other setup. Additionally, Tad custom mills the steel blade pole-piece to ensure perfect string-to-string balance, spacing, and radius, addressing the uneven string balance issues found in original pickups.
The CC Gold model is uniquely designed around the original Charlie Christian pickup, ensuring that its iconic tone is fully realized. Every detail of this instrument reflects meticulous craftsmanship and a commitment to quality, using only premium-grade solid tonewoods.
Neck and Body: The neck shape and cutaway are sculpted for optimal playability. The body is thoughtfully carved with subtle arm and rib bevel contours, providing a comfortable and intuitive playing experience.
Frets and Hardware: Stainless steel frets ensure durability and longevity, resisting wear even after years of rigorous playing.
Bindings and Linings: Unlike the original factory-built vintage instruments, which were constructed with plywood, kerfed linings, and plastic bindings, the CC Gold features all-maple bindings and solid linings. This choice not only enhances strength and durability but also showcases the meticulous attention to detail that goes into every aspect of the CC Gold.
Tonewoods: Crafted from premium-grade solid tonewoods, including highly sought-after red spruce and stunning flame maple, paired with rich African blackwood appointments, the CC Gold delivers a vibrant, responsive tone that is as visually striking as it is sonically rich.
String Afterlengths: The harmonically tuned string afterlengths add an extra layer of tonal richness and resonance, enhancing the overall sonic character of the instrument.
Bridge and Saddle: The lightweight all-rosewood bridge and saddle contribute to the guitar’s resonance and responsiveness, ensuring that every note rings out with clarity and precision.
The CC Gold is not just a guitar; it is a work of art that blends vintage tone with modern playability and construction. This instrument offers jazz musicians an unparalleled playing experience, making it an essential tool for both stage performances and studio recordings. The CC Gold delivers the rich, dynamic sound that has made the Charlie Christian pickup a legend in the world of jazz. This is the guitar for those who seek the ultimate blend of tradition and innovation.
I’m absolutely blown away by the rounded lines on this guitar Tad! Also, the depth of the back is just stunning to look at and no doubt serves an important acoustic function. I believe your guitars are going to become iconic, heirloom, masterpieces in — yet beyond the tradition of D’. An evolution of modern archtop Guitar. Just finished another hour and a half of playing blues, two octave, arpeggio forms all over the neck and various harmonic voice leading. Such a musical clear voice this instrument has. This is very likely the most perfect instrument I’ve ever played. Every note rings like a bell, and the intonation is amazing all over the neck.
B.B.
Hey Tad, I just bought one of your guitars, the CC Gold that you custom-made for Paul Huemiller at Dream Guitars. I’m a follower of Sean McGowan; I think he’s a great jazz player, and found out about your guitar online, and found out that Paul had one being made… I think it’s an absolutely gorgeous instrument! I just wanted to thank you for making such a great jazz archtop guitar. I love the Cc pickup. I was looking for a Charlie Christian pickup for a jazz archtop guitar, and this is just magnificent. I think it’s absolutely beautiful sounding, and the quality of workmanship is AMAZING.
John Kime
